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The LG FB164DAB is mini hi-fi system that offers digital and analogue radio, USB playback and direct recording, iPod connectivity, as well as DVD and CD playback.
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This mini hi-fi system sports a piano black finish, with LG utilising ‘Aqua Lighting’ for its front. It sports a modern design, but as the finish is glossy, users will have to get used to fingerprints on the speakers or the main system.
Located up front are touch sensitive buttons that adjusts the volume and offers various playback options. A hidden lid at the bottom reveals a 3.5mm input jack, headphone jack, as well as EQ/Demo, Clock, Timer, and Set buttons. The iPod dock, USB slot, Power, Function, USB Record and Eject buttons, and the slot-loading DVD/CD slot are located on top of the unit.
Putting the system together is a snap. All a user needs to do is to connect the speakers to the unit via the terminals, attach the DAB+ and AM/FM aerials, and connect the system to any TV via its component/composite out port. Users can also connect other devices to the unit via its optical in port.
The LG FB164DAB was able to scan all available digital radio stations and provided us with static-free audio. Users can choose to change what is displayed on-screen (station name, signal strength, ensemble, frequency, and DLS) and even arrange the stations alphabetically using the remote. The unit was also able to obtain various AM/FM stations, but audio quality is still better on its DAB+ function.
Users who want to listen to music, look at photos, and watch movies stored on their USB can plug it on top of the device. The system can also rip CD files or record radio from AM/FM stations (not DAB+) with a touch of a button, but saves it as an MP3 (128kbps) file.
The hi-fi system was able to detect out iPod and we were able to navigate through the menus using the remote. We also liked the fact that it was able to charge our iPod while it is docked. It could have been better if LG included a function where we could see the artist or song information on the on-screen display.
Audio quality was impressive – highs were clean, mids were warm, and the side-mounted subwoofers produced good lows. Distortions were present at very high volumes, although average users won’t push it to those levels most of the time. The unit also comes with seven preset equaliser modes (Natural, Pop, Classic, Jazz, Rock, XDSS, and Virtual) to choose from.
Overall, the LG FB164DAB is a mini hi-fi system that brings a lot of features to any small room. The digital radio function works perfectly, the unit can be hooked up to a TV, and can even play music straight from your iPod. It is available now for $574.
